Rotatable toy comprising a container filled with particles creating a snowfall effect



3,158,955 ITH Dec. 1, 1964 s. P. STURGIS ROTATABLE TOY COMPRISING A CONTAINER FILLED W PARTICLES CREATING A SNOWFALL. EFFECT Flled Jfily 15, 1962 INVENTOR. GERALD P. STU RC5 IS United States Patent RQTATABLE TOY COMPRISING A CONTAENER FILLED WITH PARTICLES CREATING A SNCW- FALL EFFECT Gerald P. Sturgis, Rte. 1, Box 208, Grchards, Wash, assignor of one-twentieth to Ledford-Todd Corporation, Portland, Greg.

Filed July 13, 1962, Se'nNo. 209,613 7 Claims. (Cl. 46201) This invention relates to rotatable toys and more particularly to a toy that rotates or rolls along a surface.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a toy having interior particles that will create a snowfall effect which can be seen through the transparent sides of the toy as it is rotated.

Another object of the present invention is to providea toy with stationary structural parts with small interior particles being attracted to the inner surface of the shell by means of static electricity.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy which when rubbed by the hand, or the toy is rotated in either direction, a novel and striking effect is created as small particles of expanded or foam plastic pellets move about inside.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a toy bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efficient in operation.

For other objects andfor a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a toy. comprising th present invention, and is partly broken away; and

FIGURE 2 is a transverse view taken on the lines 22 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a toy 10 made in accordance wth the present invention is shown to include a circular shell 12 made of clear plastic material having a pair of side walls 14 parallelto each other. A

Y-shaped divider 16 is fixedly secured between side walls 14 and a plurality of equally spaced apart radial dividers particles confined within said shell, a plurality of radial bafile dividers secured to the inner periphery of said shell between said side walls and spaced apart circumferentially, and a'central Y-shaped divided within said shell having arms spaced between said bafile dividers to allow flow of said particles between said arms and bafiie dividers when said shell is rotated.

2. A combination according to claim 1, wherein said dividers are of various colors creating a tinted snowfall effect with the movement of said particles within said shell when said shell of said toy is rotated and said particles acted upon gravity are displaced from said bafile dividers secured to said inner periphery of said shell to said Y-shaped divider, and to the inner periphery of said shell from said Y-shapcd divider.

3. A combination according to claim 2, wherein said Y-shaped divider is secured between and central of said side walls of said shell of said toy.

4. A combination according to claim 3, wherein said particles are of extremely light weight and tend to cling to the inner periphery of said'shell and the inner surfaces of said side walls due to static electrical attraction when said shell is rubbed by hand and a striking effect is created by said particles moving about inside said shell of said toy.

5. In a toy,a rollable container member of transparent plastic material having a cylindrical wall, a multitude of plastic particles partially filling the container member, and bafile means in the container member adapted to cascade the particles to create a pleasing visual effect as the container member is rolled, said baflie means comprising a plurality of spaced dividers extending radially inwardly from said cylindrical wall, and a star-shaped central divider member having arms extending between said radial dividers.

6. A rollable toy comprising a transparent container having side walls and a circular periphery, a multitude of particles in said container, a plurality of circumferentially spaced outer baffles extending from said periphery inwardly part way toward the center of the container, and a plurality of angularly spaced inner bafiles extending from the center of the container outwardly part way to- ;ward said periphery between said outer bafiles, whereby 18 are fixedly secured between side walls 14 to the inner periphery of shell 12 providing baflle means for a plurality of small plastic particles 20 which are enclosed within toy 10.

In operation, the operator rotates or rolls toy 10 with his hands and the small particles 20, the dividers 16 and 18 of various colors impart a tinted snowfall effect to the particles 20 when the toy is rotated. The small particles 20 of extremely light weight tend to cling to the shell 12' by static electric attraction. When the operator rubs the upon by gravitation as well as by static charges created .within the toy. 1

While various changes maybe made in the, detail construction it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desirev to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is: I 1. A toy comprising, in combination, a substantially 6 clear plastic hollow shell having a circular periphery and a pairof opposite side walls, a plurality of minute plastic rolling motion of the toy cascades said particles back and .forth between said inner and outer bafiles.

17. A rollable toy comprising a transparent container having side walls and a circular periphery, a multitude of particles in said container, and spaced central and peripheral baffles integral with the container arranged to cascade said particles back and forth in said container between the central and peripheral bafiles when the toy is rolled on its periphery.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 269,825 10/50 Switzerland. 7

VDELBERT BJLoWE, Primary Examiner. 7

JAMES w. LOVE, Examiner. r 

7. A ROLLABLE TOY COMPRISING A TRANSPARENT CONTAINER HAVING SIDE WALLS AND A CIRCULAR PERIPHERY, A MULTITUDE OF PARTICLES IN SAID CONTAINER, AND SPACED CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL BAFFLES INTEGRAL WITH THE CONTAINER ARRANGED TO CASCADE SAID PARTICLES BACK AND FORTH IN SAID CONTAINER BETWEEN THE CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL BAFFLES WHEN THE TOY IS ROLLED ON ITS PERIPHERY. 